


Life without Love

by franzyao



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Chocolate Frog Cards, Coming of Age, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Good Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hogwarts Express, Immortality, Master of Death Harry Potter, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Pining, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24481447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franzyao/pseuds/franzyao
Summary: "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love."Rose, Scorpius, and Albus are heading to their 7th year at Hogwarts and find a Dumbledore chocolate frog card. I use their interactions to explore some of my recent thoughts about death in conjunction with events in my own life. It's a one-shot for now, but we'll see if I end up expanding.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley
Kudos: 14





	Life without Love

"To the well-trained mind, death is but the next great adventure."— Albus Dumbledore

~

"What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?" Scorpius demanded, scratching his head. 

"It means whatever you want it to," Rose responded patiently, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's mysterious, deep, and open to interpretation, just like everything Dumbledore said." 

Scorpius seemed unsatisfied. "But there's got to be a correct answer for what it _actually_ means right? You know, don't you Rosie? You know everything." 

The intense gaze on Scorpius' face made Rose blush. She removed her hand gently and proceeded carefully. "Oh is _that_ why you're friends with me then? 'Cause I can give you answers to impossible questions?" 

"Not this again," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You know there are a _million_ reasons I'm friends with you, Rose, I don't know what it is that makes you so insecur—"

"It's probably 'cause her parents have told her to watch out for you since she was a kid," Albus interrupted, entering the compartment to join his best friends. "Luckily, my dad's said nothing of the sort, so I'm perfectly content with my friendship with Scorpy. Now move over." 

Without a shred of tact, Albus placed himself between Scorpius and Rose, who shot him a dark look. 

~  
"Is that a chocolate frog set? Let's see then," Albus continued. "Ugh. Dumbledore again. I swear, just 'cause he's my namesake doesn't mean I want a million of these," he muttered disappointedly, not noticing Rose's continuous glare. She was clearly still upset from the interruption. 

"Do _you_ know what this quote means?" Scorpius pressed, even more oblivious than Albus to Rose's annoyance. 

"Yeah, it means that the only way to truly beat death is to accept its inevitability and make peace with it," Albus responded proudly. "My dad told me." 

"But the Dark Lord beat death through splitting his soul," Scorpius retorted. "I know he didn't really at the end, _obviously_ ," he added upon seeing Albus' face. "But if Mr. Potter Sr. here didn't kill him, he would've, right?" 

"He would never have beaten death though. Not _actually_ ," Rose couldn't help but join. Scorpius' clear misunderstanding reawakened Rose to her senses. 

"Voldemort was always afraid of death, always, until the very end of his life. You can't really beat something if you're afraid of it," Rose continued, her textbook tone sounding scarily like her mother. 

Scorpius pondered this for a moment. "So you're saying that Dumbledore, though he remained mortal for his whole life and eventually died, was actually the one who beat death? Whereas the Dark Lor — I mean Voldemort — was technically more immortal in a way, but not really because he took the idea of beating death too literally?" Comprehension was seemingly beginning to dawn. 

"Yes," Rose and Albus responded simultaneously, thankful their friend had gotten there. 

"That _is_ mysterious and deep..." Scorpius said softly before drifting off to his thoughts. 

~

"Did Uncle Harry really never warn you about the Malfoys?" Rose took the opportunity to ask Albus. 

"Never," Albus replied. "Mum sometimes goes on about how Scorpius' dad was this and that, but Dad always defends him. They row about it sometimes." 

Rose looked torn. "Well, Scorpius' dad _isn't_ that bad, is he Scorpius? I don't know why my parents still resent him." 

"Huh?" Scorpius replied, barely listening. "No, he's a good father most of the time. There's a lot I don't know about him though. He never talks about the war." 

"That makes sense, I mean, it must've been traumatizing for him too," Rose said soothingly. "Well he can't have been too bad to have had a son like you," she added as her ears turned a familiar Weasley shade of red. 

Scorpius said nothing, but continued gazing dramatically out of the window. Albus, however, looked from Rose to Scorpius, then back again, then got up abruptly as though suddenly realizing something. 

"Right, I'm gonna go change then," he declared, scrutinizing Rose's face with interest. "See you guys later." 

"Bye," Rose said gratefully, making a futile attempt to assume an innocent expression. 

Scorpius gave half a wave before relapsing back into his mind. Rose stared timidly. 

~  
"Are _you_ scared of death, Rosie?" Scorpius finally broke the silence. 

"No, I'm not," Rose replied determinedly. "I'm only scared of...of..." — she built up her courage — "living a life with regrets. A life without love, without being true to myself and my feelings." Her heart stammered. "Scorpius..."

Scorpius looked at Rose as though seeing her for the first time. "Rose?"

"I like you," Rose gulped. "I know we're friends and I don't want to ruin that, but...I thought you should know." 

Scorpius opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked dumbfounded.

"Obviously you can say you don't feel the same way," Rose added hurriedly.

"No, I...," Scorpius responded. "I think I just...I understand the quote now." 

Rose grinned.

Scorpius wordlessly grabbed Rose's hand and resumed staring out the window. The two sat silently as the train pulled up to their final year at Hogwarts, deeply in thought and with ever-so-slight smiles on their faces.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing as though my Drarry story is canon. In the backdrop, Harry and Draco are friends and former lovers (or perhaps current lovers, per a consensual agreement with Ginny).


End file.
